"As a result, two employees.... were hospitalized."

 

The use of chlorine gas in treating molten aluminium is still common in many plants around the industry. Chlorine poisoning can occur when you touch, swallow, or inhale chlorine. Chlorine reacts with water outside of the body and on mucosal surfaces inside your body — including the water in your digestive tract — causing hydrochloric acid and hypochlorous acid to form. Here is a recent story involving an accidental release of chlorine in an aluminium plant.

 

The release of toxic chlorine gas was due to an accident at aluminium plant in Europe. The incident happened in the early one morning during the last week of July 2020, around 7 am. As a result, two employees of the enterprise were hospitalized.

Now the incident is being investigated by the police. At the moment, investigators have found that chlorine was formed as a result of the reaction of chemicals from different containers that came into contact with each other. What caused this is still unknown. According to factory workers, the containers may have been damaged in transit to the factory.

 

A cloud of chlorine appeared in the pump room and moved to an adjacent room. There he was stopped, but only for a while. Then the toxic release left the territory of the plant, but how far it "went" is not specified. Thus, a representative of the city council said that people are not in danger outside the factory.

 

However, during the operation to eliminate the poisonous cloud, the police asked the townspeople to keep windows and doors closed. Also, for safety reasons, several streets in the area of ​​the aluminum plant were closed.

 

At the same time, fire officials reported that they managed to prevent chemicals from entering the sewers.

 

We pray that the two injured workers recover fully from their injuries.

 

Symptoms of chlorine poisoning

Chlorine poisoning can cause symptoms throughout your body. Respiratory symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, and fluid inside the lungs.

 

Digestive system symptoms include:

 

burning in the mouth

swelling of the throat

throat pain

stomach pain

vomiting

blood in the stools

 

Chlorine exposure can damage your circulatory system. Symptoms of this problem can include:

 

changes in the pH balance of your blood

low blood pressure

serious injury to the eyes, including blurry vision, burning, irritation, and in extreme cases vision loss

skin damage, resulting from tissue injury with burns and irritation

 

Treating chlorine poisoning

Seek medical assistance immediately if you or your child comes into contact with chlorine. Don’t try to induce vomiting unless instructed by poison control or a medical professional.

 

If you get chlorine on your skin, immediately wash it with soap and water. If you get it in your eyes, flush them with running water for at least 15 minutes — take out contact lenses first if present. Remove any clothes that were on the areas of the body exposed to chlorine.

 

If you accidentally swallow chlorine, drink milk or water immediately, unless you experience vomiting or convulsions.

 

If you inhale chlorine, seek fresh air as soon as possible. Going to the highest possible ground to seek fresh air is helpful because chlorine is heavier than air.

 

Medical professionals will want to know the following information to treat your chlorine poisoning more effectively:

 

age

weight

clinical condition

product consumed

amount consumed

length of exposure

 

Once you’ve been admitted to the emergency room, a healthcare provider will measure and monitor your vital signs. This includes your pulse, temperature, blood pressure, oxygenation, and breathing rate. Doctors may also give you one or more of the following to help ease symptoms and help your body deal with the chlorine:

 

activated charcoal

supportive medications

intravenous fluid

supplemental oxygen

 

You might require placement of a breathing tube into your airway for mechanical ventilation if you have trouble breathing. Doctors might use a special tool to view your throat and determine if you have serious burns in your airways or lungs. A nasogastric tube may need to be inserted into your stomach to empty its contents.

 

Medical staff may need to wash affected skin at hourly intervals. Surgical removal of affected skin may be necessary if it’s severely damaged.

 

In conclusion please acknowledge the hazard of chlorine in our industry. If your operations use chlorine gas take the necessary precautions.

 

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